Battle of Kwajalein

8.9

A battle in January 1944 when American forces captured a Japanese island in the Pacific

proper noun

: Batalla de Kwajalein

During the Battle of Kwajalein, American forces successfully captured a strategically important atoll in the Pacific.

Examples

The Battle of Kwajalein marked a significant turning point in the Pacific campaign of World War II.
Many historians study the strategies used in the Battle of Kwajalein to understand amphibious warfare.
During the Battle of Kwajalein, Allied forces encountered fierce resistance from Japanese defenders.
The Battle of Kwajalein was a pivotal moment in the Pacific theater.
Did you know the Battle of Kwajalein took place in January 1944?
Historians analyze the Battle of Kwajalein to learn about the tactics employed by American forces during World War II.
The Battle of Kwajalein was essential for securing a base for future operations against Japanese-held territories.

Surface Forms

Battle of Kwajalein main

Morphology

battle + of + Kwajalein

The phrase follows the regular compositional pattern 'Battle of X' meaning 'a battle that took place at X', so a learner who knows 'battle' and the place name 'Kwajalein' will infer it denotes a military engagement there. This naming pattern is cross-linguistically common and uses a clear genitive/of relation, so the overall meaning is directly recoverable even without historical knowledge.

Etymology

Battle of Kwajalein is named for Kwajalein, a ring of small islands in the Pacific where American ships and soldiers landed on the beaches in January 1944 to take the islands from Japanese defenders. The strong image of many ships and troops coming ashore explains why the name now refers to an 'attack from the sea' and an important turning point in the Pacific war.